In addition, the new guidelines do not change the federal requirement to wear masks on public transportation and indoors in airports, train stations and bus stations. However, the governor did not offer any specific threshold for COIVD-19 metrics to rescind his executive order for schools. Address :Cook County Department of Public Health Administrative Office, 7556 Jackson Boulevard However, masks will still be required in classrooms in the city of. All Rights Reserved. Look for #MASKUP Cook County social media ads on YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat throughout the month of September in English and Spanish. . All Rights Reserved. Its Not Just Social Media, Free COVID Testing Will Fade With US Health Emergency in May, Lightfoot Picks 3 Developments to Launch Effort to Transform Chicagos Financial District, Chicago Facing Humanitarian Crisis Amid Renewed Surge of Migrants from the Border, Officials Say, Former Chicago Police Chief of Detectives, Fired Reform Boss Join Johnsons Transition Team, Former IDOC Director on Plans for Pontiac Prison, Home to States Highest Concentration of Seriously Mentally Ill Incarcerated People, Hammond Kids Have to Crawl Under Freight Trains to Get to School: ProPublica. Martinez noted the positivity rate of the districts in-school COVID-19 testing program is 0.68% while the citys positivity rate is 3.9%. Community billboards called wild postings are being installed on the sides of buildings in communities most affected by COVID-19. Hospital admissions mirror this decline through the end of January. DAYCARE CENTER STAFF VACCINE MANDATE - Daycare center staff statewide are required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine if they have not done so already. There are some very simple, yet effective things each of us can do to make a big difference in the fight against COVID-19. Download this 11X17 poster for your workplace, business, college or university, apartment building, condo or home. Masks Still Recommended in Cook County K-12 Schools Following Court Ruling Even though an Illinois appellate court ruling dismissed Gov. Dr. Chicago's top doc sees city COVID risk rising, At Harley-Davidson, a repo shortage is hitting the bottom line, Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson names more appointees to transition subcommittees, Booth, Kellogg top the U.S. News ranking of best MBA programs, Big Fulton Market apartment project moves forward with $125 million loan, New lawsuit over 'brazen' moves in Maple & Ash restaurant feud. During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, several Mitigation Orders and Recommendations have been issued by the Cook County Department of Public Health. Cook County this week has 51 cases per 100,000 people, up 78 percent from the prior 7-day period, CDC data shows. (contact tracing), Spread Facts Not Flu (flu and germ prevention). The governor cautioned Illinoisans keep masks handy to comply with these lingering mandates and others set forth by local jurisdictions and businesses. Look for #MASKUP Cook County posters in barber and beauty shops, gas stations, corner stores and other public places in communities most affected by COVID-19. The Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) anticipates that if key metrics continue to improve through February, the CCDPH vaccination and masking order for suburban Cook County (minus Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park and Stickney Township) can be lifted consistent with the Governor's time frame. Still, Amaal Tokars, acting director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said in statement Friday that the agency would stress this (is) not a cause for alarm.. The Chicago Department of Public Health reported 532 new daily cases on Feb. 10, down 46% from the previous week. "While masks will no longer be required and most indoor locations beginning Monday, Feb. 28 I want to be clear that they are still highly recommended," she said last week. The Executive Orders can be viewed here. CCDPH's current mask order applies to all of suburban Cook County excluding Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park and Stickney Township. Per TSA mandate, face masks are still required on all public transportation through March 18th. The metrics are based on a combination of new cases and hospitalizations, but the medium category is automatically reached if weekly cases surpass 200 positive tests per 100,000 residents. say, lifting a mask mandate would. Copyright Cook County Department of Public Health. COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and free. Cook County Poised to Lift Mask Mandate as COVID Cases Decline . You may be wondering what this means for you in terms of access to vaccines, testing, and therapeutics. Contact Heather Cherone:@HeatherCherone| (773) 569-1863 |[emailprotected]. Based on the current CDC guidance, CCDPH recommends: No CCDPH-issued requirements for mitigation strategies in addition to current state or federal mandates are currently in effect for suburban Cook County. The decision was made in consultation with Dr. Rachel Rubin, M.D., senior medical officer and co-lead of the Cook County Department of Public Health. Since then, the Illinois Department of Public Health has at times moved Cook Countys Covid risk level between low and high several times. She informed my staff that our local community transmission rate remains substantial, and strongly recommends we continue our mask mandate until levels reach moderate or low, Judge Evans said. NBCUniversal Media, LLC. While mask requirements are being lifted or reconsidered at all levels of government, federal, state and local public health authorities continue to recommend that masks be worn in many settings, including some similar to the various spaces in Cook County courthouses. Generally speaking, however, young healthy people in their 20s with strong immune systems tend to fare quite well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its masking guidance Friday to show 70% of the nation's counties at low or medium risk for COVID. [CDATA[ ###. Chicago moving into the medium level does not mean a citywide mask mandate, restrictions on public gatherings, or reinstatement of vaccination requirements at this time, Arwady said in a statement. Pritzker said that mandate could be lifted in the coming weeks if rates continue their downward trajectory. The state will continue to evaluate the need for additional mitigations and will not hesitate to put them in place as needed to protect thehealthof Illinois residents, the Thursday statement says. But we dont need it yet and we dont want to get there.. Protected by Google ReCAPTCHA. The Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and Illinois Department of Public Health have separate guidance. Whether a mandate is in effect or not, we must remember that masks work to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Evans was recently reelected to serve another three years as the chief judge of the Cook County courts, the states largest circuit court. The CDCin May said fully vaccinated people no longer would be required to wear masks in most indoor settings. Get Prepared. A federal judge, for instance, recently issued a permanent injunction covering 24 states barring the Biden administration from continuing to mandate preschool children wear masks under the Head Start program. Copyright Cook County Department of Public Health. Not all metrics need to be at target to modify the current mitigations, but substantial progress must be observed. Therefore, until local transmission rates reach safer levels, the court will continue its policy of requiring masks or other face coverings in the courthouses at all times other people are present, unless a person is otherwise instructed by the judge or court personnel. During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, several Mitigation Orders and Recommendations have been issued by the Cook County Department of Public Health. All rights reserved, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its masking guidance Friday, Carry-On Calamity: Airline Reimburses Woman for Prized Sewing Machine Damaged in Flight, Police Reveal What Was Behind Illinois Dust Storm That Led to Fatal I-55 Crash, I-55 Shut Down in Both Directions Due to Large Crash' Amid Dust Storm in South-Central Illinois, Where to Watch 2023 Met Gala Celebrity Arrivals on Monday, Portillo's Adds New Menu Item to Restaurants Nationwide and It's Now Available, At Least 6 People Killed, 30 Injured in Large Crashes on I-55 in Illinois During Dust Storm, How Much Could You Get in New $725M Facebook Settlement? In Cook County, masks will still be required in schools for staff members and students not named in a current lawsuit regarding the state's COVID mitigations in schools. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). This immunity, combined with the availability of tests and treatments, has greatly reduced the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 for many people. The Cook County Sheriffs Office has notified the court that detainees being brought to court will continue to be masked. The statewide mask mandate will end 12:01 a.m. Monday, the Governor's Office confirmed Friday. Ebola Information for Healthcare Organizations, Be Aware. Wearing a mask around others indoors helps protect yourself and those around you, which is especially important for people who are immunocompromised, who are at-risk for complications from COVID, or who are unvaccinated by choice or because they are too young. Here's What We Know So Far, Sustained improvement in hospital and intensive care unit bed availability with decreased admissions for COVID, Decreased case rates to a moderate level per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria (10-49.99 cases/100,000 population) for a sustained period, Decreased case positivity rate to amoderate level per CDC criteria (5-7.99%) for a sustained period. DuPage is at about 59, McHenry is at about 58 and Will is at almost 73. . For more information, click the links below: CCDPH Mitigation Order 2021-10 was issued on August 23, 2021 and requires individuals age 2 and older to wear masks in indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status. Those four states joined the action challenging the Biden mask and vaccine mandate. All rights reserved. Consider using a self-test before joining indoor gatherings with others who are not in your household. E-mail oureditor The Biden administration is forecasting another spike in Covid activity this fall and winter, as the weather cools and people congregate more indoors. At the same time, some peoplesuch as those who are older, areimmunocompromised, have certain disabilities, or have certain underlying health conditionscontinue to be at higher risk for serious illness. In the memo, obtained by The Cook County Record, Judge Evans advised the Circuit Courts judges and employees that the circuit court intends to continue following the guidance of the Cook County Department of Public Health to mandate everyone, Two new Dem IL Supreme Court justices refuse to step aside on hearing 'assault weapons' ban case, Battle over IL gun ban expanding, setting stage for big showdown to come before Chicago fed appeals court, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announces Attorney General Raoul Announces $462 Million Settlement With E-cigarette Manufacturer Juul Labs, Appeals court turns down bid for injunction vs IL 'assault weapons' ban while appeal of Chicago judge's ruling continues, Judge: No fundamental right for father to forbid Villa Park school district from helping child change genders, S. IL fed judge says IL 'assault weapons' ban likely violates Second Amendment, puts enforcement on hold, Naperville gun shop owner asks Supreme Court to block IL gun ban, Another judge says IL free to ban 'assault weapons' under 2nd Amendment because the guns are 'particularly dangerous', Employers urge IL Supreme Court to reconsider fingerprint scan decision they say will cripple IL businesses, economy. Ads can be delivered in a heavier concentration to areas of concern, if clusters or outbreaks pop-up. When worn properly over the nose and mouth, masks have been proven highly effective in preventing COVID-19 from spreading. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News). In all, the statewide death toll stands at 33,660 since the pandemic began. Follow the court on Twitter@CookCntyCourt, Privacy PolicyDisclaimerLegal Holiday ScheduleRules of the Court Orders of the Court, Information for Law Enforcement on Bond Cards, Petition For Authorization to Issue Bond Certifica, Petition For Authorization To Act As A Civil Suret, Part 20 (Rules) Court-Annexed Civil Mediation, Juvenile Justice&Child Protection Resource Section, Mask mandate to remain in effect in Circuit Court of Cook County facilities, Copyright 2020 by Circuit Court of Cook County.